Multiple professional demands for online connectivity, in a packed stadium, were easily met using the advanced network technology.
- In a UK first, Vodafone dedicated two portions of its state-of-the-art 5G Standalone network during the Wales vs. Ireland Guinness Men’s Six Nations match at Principality Stadium to provide dedicated connectivity using a technique known as network slicing.
- Welsh rugby star Ellis Jenkins hosted a seamless livestream watch-along on a reserved slice of Vodafone’s network. This slice also provided exclusive connectivity to rugby fans in Vodafone’s Hospitality area, supporting data-heavy activities like sharing videos with family and friends as well as internet browsing.
- The second network slice provided guaranteed upload speeds and separation from wider network congestion for the WRU’s official in-house photographers, Huw Evans Picture Agency, to decrease delay of image uploads and eliminate risk of failure while working in Vodafone’s Hospitality area.
In a UK first, Vodafone has successfully completed a trial to demonstrate the use of multiple 5G Standalone (5G SA) network slices being used concurrently for different use cases at a live event.
Taking place at Principality Stadium during the Wales vs. Ireland Men’s Guinness Six Nations match on Saturday, Vodafone dedicated two ‘slices’ of connectivity for varying uses.
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To showcase the power of network slicing, former Wales and Cardiff Rugby star Ellis Jenkins hosted a social media watch-along live from the match, enabled by network slicing on Vodafone’s 5G Standalone (5G SA) network.
The dedicated network slice, created in partnership with Ericsson, provided connectivity to rugby fans in Vodafone’s Hospitality area at Principality Stadium – where the former Wales international was seated. Through this slice, Vodafone customers – including Jenkins – were able to seamlessly live stream the match, browse the internet and social media, or share images with friends and family – without any interruptions.
The second slice of connectivity was reserved for the WRU’s official in-house photography agency – Huw Evans Picture Agency – to ensure the upload of images was not impacted by slow internet speeds caused by too many people and devices competing for signal in the packed-out Principality Stadium.
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That second upload slice was created to provide a minimum upload throughput, isolating the traffic from network congestion and guaranteeing uninterrupted connectivity. The increased speed and reliability of delivery allowed the photographer to upload even large unedited image files within 30 seconds*.
Network slicing is a 5G Standalone capability which allows Vodafone to create different virtual networks on the same physical infrastructure. Known as slices, each one is dedicated to a particular service, ensuring its performance is not impacted by other users’ demands on the network. Crucially, the performance capabilities of each slice can be customised to the use cases that it connects. With low latency and high bandwidth, the opportunities that network slicing presents in stadia is endless, from security and emergency services that rely on secure and uninterrupted connectivity, to speeding up payments for onsite food and drink vendors, meaning fans can spend more time enjoying the entertainment than standing in queues.
Network congestion is a challenge for all network operators today, but it is particularly present at major events and stadiums where an irregular number of people are gathering in a small area, all connecting to the same mobile site. This is particularly acute at Principality Stadium where 73,623 rugby fans gathered in the iconic stadium situated in the heart of Cardiff City centre.
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In fact, the equivalent of 480 hours of HD video was transferred over the Vodafone network during a Wales vs. Scotland match on 3 February 2024, which would be enough to rewatch the match over 360 times. For context, this figure was 40% higher than that recorded during Wales – South Africa match in August 2023 at the multi-facility venue.
Nick Gliddon, Business Director, Vodafone UK, said: “Network slicing allows us to work with our customers and adapt the network to suit their needs. This is a huge advantage of 5G Standalone – customers can define their own experience with a network which is built for them. As a result, businesses can expect to improve the efficiency of operations, help drive productivity gains and introduce new services to their customers that would not be possible otherwise.”
Chris Fairweather, Photographer, Huw Evans Picture Agency , said: “Using Vodafone’s 5G SA network slice was revolutionary. It’s crucially important for us to get images uploaded for use as quickly as possible, so having a dedicated portion of the network allowed us to seamlessly upload high-resolution images in real-time.”
Ellis Jenkins, former Wales International, said: “What an epic match, the Welsh boys have restored some pride with their performance this weekend and kept going right up until the final moments.
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“I loved being able to livestream my reaction to the game to Wales fans across the world, made possible by a slice of Vodafone’s 5G network – a complete game changer for connectivity at live events.”
The network slice was created in partnership with Vodafone’s technology partner Ericsson, separating a portion of the capacity provided by Ericsson technology on Vodafone’s mobile site.
Network slicing is a concept which is enabled by the deployment of a 5G Standalone network. Whereas much of the 5G connectivity we enjoy today is known as 5G Non-standalone, 5G Standalone introduces entirely novel capabilities and experiences such as network slicing.
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Notes to Editors
*Utilising the Principality Stadium’s multi-operator indoor radio system.
What is network slicing?
Network slicing is a new service for business customers and application developers, enabled by the deployment of 5G Standalone networks. The service allows mobile operators to create multiple virtual network slices which operate across the same physical network. Each slice is isolated from other network traffic to give dedicated and guaranteed performance, with the features of the slice tailored to the use case requirements.
